The female California sea lion took the cross-country trip to her new home at the Bronx Zoo after wildlife officials determined she had become habituated to humans and could not be released back into the wild.

The pup had been found stranded three times.

She was rescued after showing up on the deck of a seaside bar at Avilla Beach during a football game, giving her the nickname “Halftime.”

The pup was taken to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif. for care and rehabilitation before being escorted to her new home in New York.

“The new addition to the zoo’s sea lion population is a rare opportunity for the zoo and our visitors,” said Jim Breheny, Wildlife Conservation Society Executive Vice President and Bronx Zoo Director. “We are able to provide a home for an animal unlikely to survive alone in the wild.”

“Halftime” joins four other sea lions — one male and three females — at the zoo.

(credit: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS)

The Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. weekends.